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Inspirations For Songwriters (I F S)
IFS aims to INSPIRE YOU into ACTION
over 2,600 songwriters, music publishers, artists, and
music fans receive IFS
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DIFS/
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Please FORWARD IFS to your songwriting friends

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IFS hopes to help you E N L A R G E your
songwriting ability and results.

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DID YOU KNOW THAT All IFS messages are archived on
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DIFS/messages

Once you're in the IFS archive, if you're looking for something in
particular, you can do a key word search

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Wanna know the easy way to find the IFS home page?
Type in
www.SongwriterBlog.com
or
www.SongwritingBlog.com

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Dear IFS Friends,

I hope this email finds you well.

I decided to take a break after the October 12th IFS issue.

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I recently learned that NSAI is fixing to roll out a slew of brand
new membership benefits in 2005, plus they are going to increase
their membership fee from $100 to $150, so you can still join now and
enjoy their new benefits for most of next year.
I don't know if they'll allow current members to renew early.
http://nashvillesongwriters.com

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Professional Songwriters concentrate on getting cuts.
At some point they quit entering song contests.

For you lyricists out there you greatly enhance your chances of
getting cuts if you cowrite with artists, a producers, band members,
or successful songwriters. there's a lot of really great songs out
there that aren't getting cut, that probably would have gotten cut or
would be getting cut if an artist or a producer was a cowriter.

Ideally you want to cowrite with an artist or producer who is just
about to go into the studio. Save great song ideas for such
occasions.

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Stay in touch with your contacts.
Every now and then
give people a call out of the blue.
Just to check in on them,
find out how they are doing
find out what's new
ask questions and listen.

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If you want to be listed in the Songwriters Universe Songwriter
Directory

http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/songwriterdirectory.htm

This list will be regularly updated. If you are a songwriter (and/or
artist) who would like to added to this directory, please
info@... the following info:
your name,
city & state (or province) & country,
genres of music you can write,
phone number (optional),
email address, and
website address (if you have one).

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IFS reader Byron Hill has a new CD out
Byron Hill's new CD "Ramblings...
is now available online at:

www.byronhillmusic.com

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Subj: SXSW News for IFS
Date: 10/26/04 1:51:53 PM Central Standard Time
From: Mary K Shanahan

Ande:

Central Presbyterian Church has been added as a venue for the 2005
SXSW Music Festival. Tom Escandell, who worked with SXSW to arrange
this addition, told me that plans are to showcase Spiritual, Gospel,
Praise, World, and Classical music, (and possibly singer-songwriters
with material suitable for performance in a church sanctuary) for two
evenings at this wonderful Downtown Austin landmark.
Artist submissions are due at SXSW offices by November 8th according
to the main website. Hopefully, many artists who normally wouldn't
apply to SXSW will hear about the festival reaching out to this
expanded community and submit an application.

This is a great place! I performed there with David Breaux at the
InterFaith Arts Festival on October 9th, and just loved it. Central
Presbyterian Church also supports Austin musicians on a regular basis
with a Thursday Noonday Concert Series, as well as many other
noteworthy concerts and events throughout the year. Please help pass
the word to fellow artists and musicians about this exciting addition
to SXSW and support Central Presbyterian Church's devotion to
Spiritual, Gospel, Praise, World, and Classical musicians and
artists!

Thanks Ande!
Mary K. Shanahan
FLM Society Music
www.marykshanahan.com

Central Presbyterian Church Thursday Noonday Concert Series
2004 Winter/Spring Schedule

12:05 - Concert – FREE EVERY THURSDAY 12:30 Lunch $5.00

Nov. 11 UT French Horn Club French Horn players
Nov. 18 Stardust Four, Music of the 30's, 40's & 50's
Nov. 25 THANKSGIVING (no concert)
Dec. 2 Austin Handbell Ensemble Holiday Handbell Music
Dec. 9 Westwood Honors Show Choir Holiday Music
Dec. 16 Family Ensemble Traditional Holiday Music
Dec. 23 Pinnacle Brass Holiday Music

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What are you doing to CULT BRAND YOURSELF and your music?

Check out:

http://www.cultbranding.com/

They wrote some interesting stuff about Jimmy Buffett:

Jimmy Buffett

The record industry is notorious for having one-hit wonders and bands
that enjoy success for a few years, this scenario could have easily
happened to singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. After all, the only Top
Ten hit that Buffett ever had happened back in 1977.

His island inspired music has always been difficult for the record
industry to categorize and figure out how to properly promote.

While he doesn't have the promotional benefit of music videos on MTV,
and his songs rarely get played on the radio, Buffett regularly
finishes each year among the top twenty earners on the concert
circuit. An artist without a current mega-hit simply isn't supposed
to be able to sell out entire arenas in a matter of minutes.

Parrot Heads collectively spend some $50 million a year on Buffett
concert tickets, albums, merchandise, and food at his four
Margaritaville restaurants.

Buffett's Parrot Head legions are so loyal that not only do they
continue to purchase hundreds of thousands of copies of his albums
each year, they have also sent two books he authored right to the top
of the bestseller list. In fact, Buffett is only one of six writers
ever to reach the top spot on the New York Times' fiction and non-
fiction bestseller lists.

Jimmy paints great pictures with his songs. You can feel yourself
there. Like you are in a tropical beach where the sun always shines,
the water is always warm and crystal clear, bills never reach you,
good friends are always around, the beer never stops coming!
http://www.cultbranding.com/Jimmy_Buffet.htm

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ASK SOMEONE TO COWRITE WITH YOU.

First give honest praise

Next wait for a time when the timing feels right

Then ask if you could run an idea past the person.

Then if you get permission, send the idea or set the appointment

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Recently I went to see John Gilliam perform at cheatham street. Just
as he was starting a particular song he mentioned an IFS article
called "Drop the Cat in the Punch Bowl"
Which encouraged writers to begin in the middle of the action.
I appreciated him remembering that article, using it in his writing
and mentioning it.

John writes many songs by himself. I'm encouraging him to cowrite
more. I suggested that when he finds really great song ideas, to
resist the temptation to write it by himself and to save it for an
exciting cowriting situation.

Who have you been cowriting with lately?

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Recently I've been mentoring an austin Singer Songwriter, I
encouraged her to go to www.godaddy.com and get her name URL and
she did it!

I love it when people follow through

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global graphitti
check out them out

they've had success placing songwriters and artists songs on various
TV shows and projects

Here's info on their submission policy.

We are always interested in hearing great new music. But before you
send a CD we ask that you first email us and get permission. If you
have a web site with some streaming samples of your work let us know.
Do NOT email song files to us. If we want to listen to your CD, we'll
invite you to send it via ground mail, and will give you a special
code number to put on your package so we know it was requested.

Unrequested material will NOT be opened.

If you are a record label and would like to talk to us about
representing your catalog - or individual songs or artists - please
contact us via email and we'll get back to you.
In any case, remember that we are publishers and, as such, will want
to be involved in your publishing. Thanks!

http://www.globalgraffiti.com/submit.htm

www.globalgraffiti.com

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A few weeks ago an IFS reader sent me a CD and asked me to submit his
songs to IFS opps. I listened to clips of his songs and below is
what I wrote him.

This business is hard, It's really tough to have any success. I want
to be encouraging but I don't want to foster false hopes.


dear john,

today I received your package
I skimmed through your CD listening to clips of each song

here are my suggestions

if your goal is for your songs to be used in professional projects
your material needs to sound like songs written by a professional
songwriter

I think you need stronger songs and better demos

to get there I encourage you

1) study songwriting, great songs, and songs on the radio in the
genres you write

2) get your songs professionally critiqued
www.jasonblume.com
kim copeland is very good
nsai can be helpful

3) only get a pro demo made after a professional critiquer says a
particular song is excellent and ready to demo

4) if you're going to pitch your songs you don't need to mention that
they are copyrighted

5) find talented cowriters who are willing to work with you

6) keep writing don't give up

7) after you get the demo made
get it professionally critiqued again and
only pitch it if the critiquer says it's excellent and ready to
pitch

hope this helps
good luck

Ande rasmussen
www.AndeRasmussen.com

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Remember to say thank you and appreciate those who've helped you
get to where you are
How many thank you notes have you sent lately?


Write on!
Ande Rasmussen
Editor and Publisher of I F S, Inspirations For Songwriters

Contact info is:

Ande Rasmussen
835 Martindale Falls
Martindale, TX 78655
AndeRasmussen@...

You can read my Bio at:
http://www.AndeRasmussen.com/

You can hear a few of my tunes at:
http://songramp.com/ande
http://www.soundclick.com/anders

If you want receive IFS or change your email address with IFS
send an email to
difs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

FORWARD IFS to your songwriting friends!

IFS home page is
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DIFS

I F S stands for Inspirations for Songwriters,
I F S is an ezine for songwriters filled with
inspirational and practical information about
the art, craft, and business of songwriting.
We want to help YOU become a more successful songwriter.

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
The entire text of
"Inspirations for Songwriters"
(c) 2004 Anders Rasmussen

Does anyone ever read IFS to the very end?